Apple Addresses Alleged Throttling of iPhones With Degraded Batteries

[MacRumors]

Over the course of the last week, there's been speculation that Apple is throttling the performance of older iPhones with degraded batteries, leading to resurgence of accusations that Apple is deliberately slowing down older iPhones that aren't operating at peak battery performance.

In a statement to TechCrunch on the results people are seeing when testing iPhones with older batteries, Apple says it is aiming to smooth out the high power draw peaks that can result in shutdowns and other problems in older devices to "deliver the best experience for customers."

Lithium-ion batteries degrade over time by nature, and there's nothing Apple can do to halt the process, so it uses power management techniques to attempt to prolong the life of the iPhone and its battery. Apple isn't denying that iPhones with older batteries can sometimes see slower performance, but power management is not a feature that's been implemented to force users to upgrade by deliberately slowing devices.

"Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices. Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components.

Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions. We've now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future."

The throttling accusations first surfaced last week, after a Redditor shared Geekbench results taken before and after the battery in his iPhone 6s was replaced. He claimed that performance on his iPhone 6s sped up drastically after replacing a battery with a wear level "around 20%."

Then, earlier this week, Primate Labs founder John Poole showed some aggregate Geekbench data that visualized a link between lower processor performance and degraded battery health. He compared iPhone 6s scores between iOS 10.2 and iOS 10.2.1, which showed variations in benchmarking scores following the update.

Apple in iOS 10.2.1 introduced an update designed to fix a bug that was causing iPhone 6s models to shut down unexpectedly, a problem attributed to uneven power delivery from older batteries. Apple says this feature has been implemented for iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE, and, as of iOS 11.2, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. It will be implemented in future iPhones going forward, too.

It's this power management feature causing the benchmark variations John Poole found in Geekbench scores between iOS 10 updates last year. As explained by TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino:

Basically, iPhones were hitting peaks of processor power that the battery was unable to power and the phones were shutting off. Apple then added power management to all iPhones at the time that would 'smooth out' those peaks by either capping the power available from the battery or by spreading power requests over several cycles.

When an iPhone's battery ages, there may come a point when it can't provide the processor with enough power to reach a peak of power, and thus it spreads the requests out "over a few cycles," resulting in the peaks and perceived lower scores on benchmarking tests. As Panzarino points out, benchmarking tests are not reflective of real world usage and will artificially trigger the power management features in the iPhone.

"In other words, you're always going to be triggering this when you run a benchmark, but you definitely will not always trigger this effect when you're using your iPhone like normal," writes Panzarino.

Apple has clear battery replacement guidelines in place. The iPhone battery is designed to retain 80% of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles. A defective battery that does not meet those parameters can be replaced for free for customers who have AppleCare+ or who have devices still under warranty.

For out of warranty customers, Apple offers a battery replacement service, with the company charging $79 for a battery replacement plus $6.95 in shipping.

Apple's iPhones do send out a notification when a battery has degraded enough that it's going to impact performance, but it is "pretty conservative" according to Panzarino, and he recommends Apple make this notice more aggressive, in addition to providing customers with clearer information on the link between battery life and performance.

Article Link: Apple Addresses Alleged Throttling of iPhones With Degraded Batteries

 

[riahi]

The part about "Apple offers battery replacement in stores" is not really true. I've gone twice to an Apple store to have them assess my battery. They refused to let me pay them to replace the battery because their diagnostics passed.

I'm in the situation where Apple won't even let me pay to replace my battery even though I have random shut downs and blatant CPU throttling when below 50%.

 

[scrapesleon]

replace the battery or go get a new phone simple as that

 

[Apple_Robert]

Once again, nothing untoward here, even though many chose to jump on the Apple conspiracy bandwagon.

 

[Vashetti]

What's the best recommended app for testing battery health?

 

[Naimfan]

So people are talking about Apple working to ensure their phone still works properly even when the battery wears down, as it inevitably will?

That sounds like complaining for the sake of it.

 

[ArneK]

So in other words: they are selling devices that after a couple of weeks deliver app. 50% of the promised power and call that a feature...

 

[JM]

Was waiting for this.

 

[theheadguy]

Make it optional. B.S. that they aren’t excited it fuels sales. That’s absolutely a factor with their software changes.

 

[Apple_Robert]

What's the best recommended app for testing battery health?

Coconut Battery is a decent app. Ultimately, the only testing that will matter is the one that Apple uses.

 

[JackieInCo]

The part about "Apple offers battery replacement in stores" is not really true. I've gone twice to an Apple store to have them assess my battery. They refused to let me pay them to replace the battery because their diagnostics passed.

I'm in the situation where Apple won't even let me pay to replace my battery even though I have random shut downs and blatant CPU throttling when below 50%.

I had this happen with my 6S+ as well. Their diagnostic showed the battery was fine yet the battery would randomly drain and was just unpredictable. I had the battery replaced by a local shop who came to my house about 3 weeks ago and charged me $59. The phone is now like new again.

 

[asdavis10]

The comments for this story should be good. There is going to be lots of rage for something that actually seems logical. All batteries degrade at some point. So you can't expect hardware that relies on the power from that battery to still function the same.

 

[daniesy]

So, why isn’t anyone suing?? I mean, if you read closely, every iPhone expires after one year.

 

[Apple_Robert]

So in other words: they are selling devices that after a couple of weeks deliver app. 50% of the promised power and call that a feature...

That not what the article states.

 

[I7guy]

Doesn’t seem to be any real conspiracy as implied in other threads/blogs. My 6s did qualify for the battery replacement program and for that kudos to Apple.

 

[cale508]

Make it easier for the end user to replace battery and people won't complain.

 

[rjtyork]

Hmmmm I’m going to replace my screen and battery on my 6+ and see if that makes it useable again. I bought the 8+ since my 6+ is 3 years old and was getting to be way too slow.

 

[tridley68]

For out of warranty customers, Apple offers a battery replacement service, with the company charging $79 for a battery replacement plus $6.95 in shipping or you can upgrade your phone and sign another 2yr contract like Apple wants you to do or they would not be messing with it in the first place this stinks Apple and you should not be allowed to do this I think this could end up in a class action suit .

 

[citi]

The part about "Apple offers battery replacement in stores" is not really true. I've gone twice to an Apple store to have them assess my battery. They refused to let me pay them to replace the battery because their diagnostics passed.

I'm in the situation where Apple won't even let me pay to replace my battery even though I have random shut downs and blatant CPU throttling when below 50%.

So take it to an aftermarket shop. It will cost you like 60-75$. I did that for my daughters phone and now it works like the day we bought it. No more random shutdowns.

 

[Jimmy James]

This provides some useful context.

 

[Act3]

"In other words, you're always going to be triggering this when you run a benchmark, but you definitely will not always trigger this effect when you're using your iPhone like normal," writes Panzarino.

That is complete BS. Why does CPUDasherX show reduced CPU frequency all the time with an old battery? Battery charged to 100%, my CPU speed was 911 mHZ before changing the battery.

 

[Nimrad]

Aah, the good ol' "it's not a bug, it's a feature".

 

[djcerla]

Alternate reality headline:

Greedy Apple displays popups scaring users into buying expensive battery replacements, rage ensues.

 

[tridley68]

Make it easier for the end user to replace battery and people won't complain.

very well stated remember the good old days when I could do this on my Motorola phone and batteries were like $40

 

[1050792]

That's a very unique "feature" not shown in their magical Keynotes... sadly. /s #Performancegate

 

[Zaft]

So it seems that Apple rather have the phone slow down a bit than have it shut off completely.

Im not sure how I feel about this, I think Apple has to give a notification to the user. The user may just think he/she needs a new phone as apposed to just a new battery for $79 or free.